Stay Beautiful
by f-eroxcious
Summary: Jaspers been away for a while. When he moves back to Texas, he brings Edward, Emmet and Alice with him. How will Alice deal with Jaspers pretty best friends Bella and Rosalie, for that matter, how are Edward and Emmet going to deal with them? All human
1. Everything You Looked For

_I like AU stories about bella and Edward getting together . . . so im trying to write one. Anyway everybody is human. Alice and Emmet are siblings, Edward's their cousin, Jasper's just a friend. Starts out at an Art school in New York, then heads to the south where you meet Rosalie and Bella. Hope you like it (or can at least tolerate it haha)_

* * *

Jaspers POV

I didn't know how to say it, or how anyone would take it.

After more than a year of absence I, Jasper Whitlock, was going back to Banner, Texas, to once again attend Trinity River School of the Arts. It was where I had spent the majority of my childhood, and freshman year.

Banner was a town small enough to count as little more than a village, and everyone was everybody else's family. I missed the mercantile where we all bought milkshakes and cheeseburgers, the fireworks stand my best friend's uncle owned, spending' all our free time down by the river or at the tiny movie theater, running free just cause' we'd all been there since we were babies and had little reason for supervision anymore. I was more than ready to see the people I'd left behind, the closest thing to family that I still had.

When I was a sophomore, my brother Jeffery, who was convinced Banner would never get anybody anything or anywhere, convinced my parent to send me to an art school in New York, where he was currently living. I went, grudgingly, kept on painting and made a few new friends. That was before everything got a little lonelier and a lot more depressing.

Last new years my mom and dad, who still lived back in Banner, were going to parties with their closest friends, the Swans, after having been "over-indulging" in alcohol related activities. They told me and Bella that they probably hadn't even felt anything. When the car had rolled, the hill was steep enough to immediately crush the roof of the automobile, causing instant death most likely.

I and Jeffery had gone back for a few days for the funeral, but he was scared of that place, still treating our hometown like it was the black hole. I hated him for not caring, and not letting me sit with my best friend and daughter of the Swans, Bella, so we could at least help one another. I didn't understand his aversion to the place where he grew up, and he'd never cared to explain it.

Ever since then I'd been living with him and his fiancé, Bethany, in some upscale apartment. It was uncomfortable to say the least. They were very much in love, and had no problem with showing it. I liked Bethany, honestly, but she was everything Texas hadn't been, and I was always afraid that it was most of the reason he liked her.

School was probably the only thing that I was pretty satisfied with. There were a lot of opportunities to learn about art and improve my painting skills. People here were really different, but I hadn't decided if that was a good or bad thing yet. I'd made some really good friends, and was nearly inseparable from the Brandon's and their cousin Edward Cullen.

Bethany had introduced me to them when I'd first moved here. Something along the lines of her working for Edwards mothers interior design company. They were all really talented artists, and really nice.

Emmet was possibly one of the hugest guys I'd ever met, and was really good at photography. He had an awesome sense of humor, and had gotten us in trouble more times than I could count. Emmet loved practical jokes, and often dragged us down with him.

His sister, Alice, was really nice, and pretty, and it was safe to say I had a little bit of a crush on her. But I didn't want anything like that while I was here, I'd always planned on going back to Texas. She was tiny, less than five feet tall, even at 16. She was one of the top dancers at our school, and everyone liked her. Alice was way too social for anyone not to immediately make friends with her.

Finally, there was Edward. He was probably the closest friend I had in New York. Edward Cullen was a master pianist, and had been playing since he was old enough to properly function. He was quiet, like me, and didn't talk just to make noise and fill silence. He was stiff though, and didn't think much outside of his music and his family. We were too much alike though, not to be friends.

Back to the task at hand, I still had to figure out a way to tell them I was moving back to Banner. I doubted it would be any harder than telling my brother I had wanted to move back. He'd been adamantly against it, saying I'd never amount to anything down there.

"What is so great to you about that nobody town?" He'd shouted. "Go back there, and you'll never get out. You'll be just like dad and all the other kids that end up at Trinity River. Marry some girl from town that you've known all your life, live there, have kids, and die. No one will remember you."

I'd shouted back just as loudly. "What would you know Jeffery? You were born tryin' to get out of that town. If you'd have opened your eyes for a second, you would have seen something better then that black hole your mind told you it was!"

"Jasper, please! Your paintings are so much bigger than Banner, Texas. Hell, you're so much bigger than Banner! We all are . . . "

What he'd said then probably made me angriest. I couldn't help but cut him off.

"Jeffery, I'm not _bigger_ than Banner! I am Banner. It's a part of me. It always will be. And, no matter what you say, so are you."

In the end, he'd agreed. Bethany had convinced him, probably with a lot of coaxing and heavy petting, that it was what I wanted. That was always one of the things I liked about her, she'd pick my side against his if he was being an idiot.

* * *

I walked into the common room, hesitantly, to look for my friends. It shouldn't be that big a deal. I'd only been here for about a year. But I still felt like it had been longer. Emmet was stretched out across a couch, messing with his camera. Alice was sitting cross-legged on the floor, listening to her iPod, and Edward was at the piano, as-per-usual. They all looked up when I came over, and I tried to smile, but I think it came out more like a grimace.

"What's wrong?" Alice was good at understanding me. Right now, I kind of wished she wasn't.

"N-nothing really. Actually I'm pretty happy."

I was loving how confident I sounded, next I'd burst into tears and tell everyone that I loved them. I sounded like a girl.

Emmet sat up, so I could sit on the other end of the couch, and I sighed. This was going to be awkward at best.

"So..." Edward prompted, "why are you pretty happy?"

Looking up, I really grinned this time. I was thinking about being home again, running wild again and being with my old friends.

"I'm moving back home, to Texas. I want to spend my last couple of years in school back there. I mean, I like it here alright, but I miss it there more, and my brother finally agreed to let me go back."

I realized after I'd said it, that it had come out rushed and a little bit like I wanted to run away from all that was New York.

"Obviously, I'll still miss you guys, and I'll stay in touch."

Alice was looking like she might cry, Emmet was looking at me like he was confused, and Edward was frowning. I would have been more satisfied if they had screamed or cheered or cried, or something. At least then I'd know what they were thinking.

"When are you leaving?" Alice said quietly.

I was looking at her closely, her short black hair was covering her face, so I couldn't tell how she was feeling, but I thought she sounded sad. _wishful thinking_.

"Not till the middle of August. Jeffery wants to keep me here as long as possible, even if it means missing the best time of the year. Summers when we spend all our time hanging out around town."

"What if...we went too?" Edward was speaking dully behind me, his usual quiet, stoic self.

"I've certainly been dying to get out of the monotony of New York. Maybe Texas would be a good change.

"Why is it," I asked sarcastically, "that you talk you were born in 1901?"

All I received from that comment was a glare from Edward, and Emmet & Alice agreeing with Edward. I would be thrilled if they came, but I doubted their parents would be ok with them just packing up and shipping off to Banner, Texas.

"You guys seriously think your parents are gonna just go for that?"

Alice piped up with her usual perky, well educated wisdom. "Time in Texas would be a positively wonderful cultural experience which we could not pass up."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. It was terrifying how manipulative she could when Alice set her mind on something.


	2. She Smiles, It's like The Radio

_Glad people like this! Thanks for all the reviews and stuff. Hopefully these chapters don't stink too badly, but in my defense we have semester testing this week and I'm swamped with studying. I also hope they get longer, cause the last one seemed short to me._

**I obviously don't own twilight or it's characters**

* * *

Jasper's POV

Two and a half months later, I found myself on a plane, sitting next to an irritable Jeffery. In front of us were Alice and Bethany, chattering probably about shopping, music and whatever else it is that girls talk about. To my right were Emmett and Edward, arguing over some actress Emmett thought was hot, but of course Edward thought was shallow. Their parents weren't flying down for another week or so, smart enough to know that traveling with a bunch of teenagers wouldn't be all that pleasant.

I however, was almost too excited to sit still. My brain was running a hundred miles an hour, wondering what it would be like back where I grew up. Was everyone still the same? Did everyone still like me? And what the hell happened to the hat I'd lent to Bella freshman year? I'd tried talking with my brother, but he was so cranky I'd been afraid he'd haul off and slug me. So, to waste time, I'd jammed my iPod in my ears, turned on an old George Strait CD and daydreamed.

I must have fallen asleep, because I was jolted back from Marina Del Rey by a rough shove from Jeffery.

"Wake up, Jasper. We're here."

Growling at him, I yanked my headphones from my ears and trailed behind him. When we stepped off the plane, the bright Texas sunshine glittered through the window, warmer and clearer than New York had ever been. I broke out into a grin as I looked outside, and stole a glance at Jeffery. He almost looked scared. It wasn't where he was that scared him though, it was more like he was scared of what they would think of him.

Everyone wandered out to the rental car, but not before Alice and Bethany had the chance to buy T-shirts from the gift shop. We had to physically drag them away, with Jeffery telling Bethany that they'd be back at the airport soon enough.

* * *

It was another hour of driving before we got to the outskirts of Banner. I was still smiling when they all started asking me questions about the school, and the town. All of them knew enough not to ask my brother about it. 

"Jasper!' Emmet was hollering from the backseat of the giant SUV we'd rented. He pretty much had to yell to make himself heard.

"What's it like there, really? Are we talking one mall and a department store small, or like that town from Wrong Turn small?"

"Think Wrong Turn" I laughed, "but with less inbreeding and cannibalism.!"

I heard everyone go a little silent, and wished Emmett had used a different comparison. Shaking my head, I turned back to look at the scenery.

We were close to town now. I could see the old water tower, and the flag pole of the local high school. Jeffery was driving, and I swore it was slower than usual. I was in a hurry. I wanted to see everybody, and get back to the Arts School.

We turned off the main highway, and I could see The Big Bang Fireworks store up ahead, in all it's glory. It was a monstrosity of a building. Its sign was covered in chrome and flashing lights, every letter surrounded by every kind of neon you'd ever want to see. It was like our own personal Vegas. It used a warehouse, so it was pretty large. Bobby Higgenbotham **(A/N gosh Renee's last name was awful)** had bought it the second he had the money, then renovated it. It was the largest store in Banner, and all it sold was fireworks.

"Hey Jeff, you uh... want to pull over for a second?"

I smiled at him in the rearview mirror, and for the first time since we had landed, he smiled to.

"I suppose we ought to," he replied. "She'd have a fit if she knew I'd been here and just drove right by."

Bethany looked over at him from the passenger seat when Jeffery had said "her," and continued to stare at him questioningly as we pulled into the parking lot. Surprisingly, he didn't acknowledge her. Everyone was pretty much confused, and neither I nor my brother offered to explain it to anyone. I was just grinning still and Jeffery's blue eyes looked amused.

Through the window, we could see a blonde girl leaning on a counter and playing with the front of her hair lazily. The store and it's parking lot was dead empty except for us, and remembering The Big Bang like I did, she was probably hot from the lack of a good air conditioner. At the sound of the vehicle, she looked up, and not recognizing anyone, went back to toying with her hair.

"What exactly are doing at a giant fireworks store?" Edward sounded irritated and apprehensive. He sounded like he thought we were going to go blow something up.

I didn't do much but smile at him, and told all of them to follow me inside.

By the time we got to the door, the girl at the counter had figured out who we were. She cracked a big grin and leaped over the counter. "Jasper! What are you doin' here?"

She came flying out the door at me, still smiling, and hugged me. Swinging her up off the ground, she kissed me on the cheek and I said " Hi Bella."

* * *

Alice POV

I was actually excited about coming to Texas. I honestly believed it would be a lot of fun, and they had a good dance program at Trinity River School of the Arts. I also was excited about coming here, for Jasper. He didn't know that obviously. When he talked about this place, he had always painted a firm line. There was "us", in New York, and "them", back in Texas. He'd placed himself on the "them" side, and it didn't seem like there would be a "we" between him and I, if Jasper placed us on opposite sides.

I'm not even sure if he liked me that way. He was one of the most gorgeous guys I had ever met, and really polite. My mother loved him, so did Aunt Esme. He had light blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. Jasper had to be at least six feet tall, probably close to six and a half. He was really smart, and the best painter I had ever laid eyes on. I was infatuated with him.

He was shy, and sweet. He had manners New York Boys didn't, and I could have an intelligent conversation with him without feeling like he was staring at my chest the entire time. Which he of course never did, even if I almost wanted him to. In all the time I had spent talking to him, he'd never uttered the words 'I love you, Alice.' And as much as that sounds like puppy love, I was convinced he and I were meant to be together, so what if he said it now or later. I feared though, that he never would.

When we'd pulled up to this fireworks store, I was more than a little bewildered. I heard his brother saying something about a 'her' and how 'she' would be furious. Could it be family? A cousin or something. But, as 'she' flew into Jasper's arms, I felt 'our' future crash around me. She kissed him soundly on the cheek, and was smiling more joyfully than I have ever seen anyone else smile.

She was a beautiful girl. Taller than me by almost a foot, she was about 5'7. She had dark blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and still reached down to her shoulders. From what I could see, she had tanned skin and long legs. The girl was wearing cutoff shorts and a simple camisole tank top. On her feet, she was wearing an old pair of Nike shox. This girl was everything I wasn't. _maybe,_ I thought, _thats why he didn't want me._

Before I could stop myself, I made a small keening noise, but luckily only Bethany could hear me. She draped her arms around my shoulders, and sighed.

"I didn't ever think he was with someone. I'm sorry sweetheart."

* * *

The girl, Jasper had called her Bella, led us back into the store, still keeping a hold on Jasper's hand. He looked really happy to see her. Even Jeffery looked excited to be around her. After she'd disentangled herself from Jasper, she'd grabbed Jeffery by the hands and kissed him on the cheek too, teasing him that he'd lost his accent. Her voice was low and a little southern. It was in a nice way though, not a redneck sort of southern. 

Inside the store, fireworks were stacked to the ceiling. There were sparklers and firecrackers, and some so big they looked like they were illegal. Everything was crammed in tightly together, and my family and I stood blankly by the counter, unsure of what to do. I'm positively sure I looked miserable, but Bethany took pity on me and kept me behind her.

Bella had hopped up to sit on the counter, and Jasper sat next to her. He was chuckling quietly at something she'd said, and Jeffery leaned on the corner, smiling along with them. The three of them looked really close, and I snidely thought about exactly _how_ close they'd all gotten.

After a few minutes, Bethany cleared her throat expectantly, and Jeffery smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry ya'll, I forgot to introduce everyone."

Bethany and I looked at one another incredulously. Had he really just said _ya'll_?

"This is Isabella Swan. Jasper and I've known her since we were babies. Uh, Bella thats my fiancé Bethany. Right next to her is Alice Brandon, behind her is her brother Emmett. Next to him is their cousin, Edward Cullen."

We all mumbled hello, Emmett and Edward looked very "pleased" with her presence, and I could barely choke out a greeting. She smiled back just as widely as she had been, saying "Hi" cheerily. She was pretty, and acted really friendly towards all of us. In my mind though, I couldn't like her, simply because Jasper so obviously did.

They chatted happily for a while, catching up on local news, and said something about her parents. Much unlike my usual self though, I wasn't paying attention to anything. I was too busy wallowing in self pity.

We heard another car pull into the parking lot, only this one was much more reckless, and in a far bigger hurry than we had been. Another, taller blonde girl came barreling into the store, a soda cup in her hand. She looked out of breath and was staring at Jasper wide eyed.

"Hey Rose" He laughed.

"How come none of you told me he was coming home?" Her reply was blunt, but she didn't let his presence stop her for long. She shoved Jasper closer to Bella on the counter, and sat beside him. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek just like Bella had. Edward and Emmett were snickering behind me, mumbling things about girlfriends and Jasper being 'the man.' I felt my heart sink deeper. Maybe he hadn't been the sweet boy I had thought he was. Right now he looked like little more than a player.

"It's good you're here," Rose said. "You can hold her back if she tries to hit me." She gestured toward Bella with a jerk of her thumb.

"What'd you do?!" Bella said indignantly. It surprised us, because she'd been soft spoken and breathless since we'd arrived.

Rose winced and started talking.

"Well, I was down at the Mercantile getting a milkshake. Anyway, I saw Mike Newton, and he was talking about you. So, I may have possibly said something along the lines of you being, um, _single_."

When she finished talking, Rose winced and hid behind Jasper's shoulder, who looked both irritated and fearful of what Bella might do. As for Bella, she stared blankly at her friend with stormy blue eyes.

"Can I try your milkshake?"

Gently, Rose offered her the cup. And far less gently, Bella snatched it away from her, and began drinking it.

"This is my milkshake now." She said haughtily. "I figure it's payment, cause Mike's already here."

Rose moaned and looked forlornly and the cup, while Jasper chuckled quietly beside her.

As another blonde boy walked up to the doors, I heard Bella remark

"Here we go again."

* * *

_Thats that. Anywho, i probably wont update til like friday, because of testing. Also, if anyone has any constructive criticism, that'd be nice cuz i feel like my writing bites lol.. anyway i changed Bella's appearance a little, because I can, and made her more outgoing. I figure she can hold her own around Edward now._


	3. Pretty Girls on Every Corner

**Sorry Guys! I feel bad about being late, especially since I'm getting such awesome reviews! Thanks for those!**

**Anyways, here's a little explanation about Bella's blondeness: Sorry if I made her sound super blonde.. It's really like almost brown, dirty dishwater blonde. Her eyes are like grey blue, mostly just because my brain keeps telling me that's what she looks like. So, she's still pretty "bella-ish" just not exactly like the book.**

* * *

Bella's POV

So far, today had been hotter, and the store had been emptier, than it had been in a while. We had two weeks before Trinity River started up school again, and we could get back to what we did best. I was a musician, a skilled piano and guitar player, and a singer. My best friend, Rosalie Hale, was a dancer.

All summer, I had spent most of our summer right here in my Uncle Bobby's fireworks store. I ran it everyday, so he could spend time with my aunt and cousins. Usually, nobody ever came in here except for those few weeks that surrounded the Fourth of July. The rest of the time, I sat here alone, dying in the heat and being bored out of my head.

In my spare time, Rose and I ran around down by the river, or up at the Mercantile. She and I had lived the past few months in Trinity Rivers private houses. Those are for the kids whose parents want to shell out the money so their kids could have their own homes on campus. Since my parents were gone, and Rose's didn't care much what she did, we decided to pay for our own. It saved me from living with my Uncle and his family.

We were friends with the town kids, and ran around with them a lot too. They partied and drank, and anything else they figured they could have fun doing. Unlike the Trinity students, they weren't trust fund babies, and could act like real people. I was good friends with Jacob, and his crew, plus a couple of other town girls named Angela and Jessica.

Lately Jessica's latest interest, Mike Newton, had been hovering around us. He thought we had a "thing." Really, all Mike did was hover around and pester me. After a while, I told him I was dating someone, just to get him off my back.

* * *

I leaned on the counter of the Big Bang Fireworks store, and that's all I'd done so far today. That, and mess with my hair. The damned air conditioner wasn't working again, so all I had was an economy sized fan that sat under the cash register, and a bottle of water that was luke-warm by now.

Right around closing time, a fancy SUV pulled into the parking lot. All of it's windows were tinted dark, and the license plate said it was a rental. It just looked like tourists, passing through our little town, stopping just to take pictures and readjust themselves. I looked back down, not caring enough about the car to let it hold my attention.

They all piled out, talking a little bit and hanging around. I just listened to the radio, old country songs blaring through the speakers. Unusually, I could hear the voices getting closer to the door, and looked up, prepared to tell them that there wasn't any public restrooms in a fire works store. I could see two familiar blonde heads of hair. I saw them look up towards me, and I saw Jasper Whitlock.

He had been my first and best friend. Our parents had been really close, both of our fathers having graduated from Trinity River School of the Arts. We'd played together, and grew up together. His brother, Jeffery, had been with us in the younger years, before he chose to attend the local High School, then shipped himself off to New York. Jasper and I had stayed as close as ever, all the way through grade school, middle school, and that first year at Trinity River.

We'd never done anything but cause trouble when we were together. I was more adventurous, but he was smarter. Between the both of us, we'd get into crazy situations and never get caught. We were together, in the 7th grade and our friend Will dared us to kiss one another, that first time we'd gotten drunk, and the day we met Rosalie Hale on our first day in High School. Jeffery convinced the Whitlock's to send Jasper to an Art School in the City. I had seen him last Thanksgiving, and at the Funeral, but Jasper and Jeffery had left as soon as they came. I had still talked to him on the phone at least once a week, but I still missed him.

When I saw him reach for the door, I launched myself at him, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him closely. Jeffery even let me hug him. He'd almost completely lost his accent, and I couldn't let the opportunity to make fun of him pass up.

"Why Jeffery, you sound like you've lost all your Southern Roots. It must be your fiancé making you soft." I grinned widely at him, and looked at the people who were crowded behind them.

"Lets go inside."

* * *

It wasn't a whole lot cooler in the store than it had been outside, but there was at least some shade. Jasper and I planted ourselves on the counter, while Jeffery leaned near by. For the first time in a while, I was excited enough to keep quiet for a few seconds.

"We wanted to surprise you." Jasper told me abruptly. "I'm moving back here, hopefully to stay. I've missed you a lot."

I was still smiling, telling each of them that I'd missed them too, when someone cleared their throats in front of us. At the sound, Jeffery looked up bashfully. "Sorry ya'll, I forgot to introduce everyone."

Bethany, his fiancé, was pretty, and Jeffery was looking at her with a smitten facial expression. The little girl, whose name was Alice, looked at me hostilely, but her giant of a brother, Emmett, was eyeing me with a completely different expression . Both of them had black hair, but Alice was tiny and Emmett was really tall. They both had brown eyes. The boy next to Emmett was named Edward. He was gorgeous. His messy copper hair and green eyes were perfect, and he was at least six feet tall, which was always a plus. He was looking at me much the same way the other boy was, but he looked more shy.

I kept smiling at all of them as they said hello, and I greeted them back. We had talked some more for a while, before I saw Rose's car race into the parking lot, and sprint into the store. She stopped just long enough to say hi to Jasper and kiss him on the cheek before she hopped on the counter next to him.

"It's good you're hear, you can hold her back if she tries to hit me."

When Rose said that, I panicked and asked her what she'd done. I could tell by the look on her face that it was something tremendously bad. She said that while at the Mercantile, she may have let it slip to Mike Newton that I wasn't dating anybody. Up the road, I could see a cloud of dust following Mike's pick up.

I glared at Rose blankly. _that milkshake is mine._ "Can I try your Milkshake?"

* * *

Mike Newton strolled through the glass doors of the fireworks store, messing with his hair in smirking at me. I suppose he thought it looked sexy or something. To me he just looked like he was gonna throw up. Jasper and his friends stared at me oddly, and I couldn't do much else but roll my eyes and try to smile half heartedly at Mike.

"What can I do for you, Newton?"

His weird smirk just got bigger and creepier. He leaned on the counter between Jasper and I, and started talking. That's probably the most annoying thing about him, those sounds that come from him when he starts moving his mouth. Usually, once you get him going, you can't get him to stop.

"I heard from Rosalie here," Mike said in a lower voice than his own, "that you were single again. And I just thought that you and I could get together sometime. It's really obvious that you like me, and I figured you'd want another chance at 'The Mike.'"

My face twisted into what only could have been a confused and disgusted grimace. Not only because he thought I wanted him, but also because he'd called himself 'The Mike.' I could see Jaspers guests behind Mike, snickering silently. Jasper was next to me shaking gently with laughter, and Rosalie was barely hiding an enormous grin behind her hand.

I just stared back at Mike dully, barely keeping from throwing a fit, and drank some more of Rose's milkshake. I waited for it to fill the straw, then place my thumb over the opening, keeping it up the tube, and pulling it out of the cup.

"Well, 'The Mike,' that's a nice thought and all, but.." I said as I held the milkshake-filled straw above his head. I removed my thumb and watched as chocolate milkshake ran down into his hair. "I don't really think I want another chance with you."

By this time, Jasper wasn't even trying to laugh silently, and Rose had nearly fallen off of the counter. Mike didn't do much but run out of the store, trying to shake the mess out of his hair.

"My goodness, I hate that guy."

* * *

Jasper and them left after a few more minutes, promising to catch up. They had to go to the Whitlock house, which had been vacant for months, and set up temporary sleeping arrangements. Rose stayed with me a while, still propped on the counter and swinging her feet over the edge.

"When's Bobby gonna get this dang air conditioner fixed? It's like a hundred degrees in here and I'm afraid the fireworks are going to go off!"

"Don't be such a drama queen." I laughed. "If it gets hot enough to burst into flames, at least our death would be quick and painless."

Something about her expression told me that she wasn't all that assured with my answer. She tried once again, unsuccessfully, to swipe the milkshake back from me, then settled with coming her hair back from her forehead.

"Jasper's friends seemed nice, so did Jeffery's fiancé. Of course he would get somebody completely super-model-like. They boys were adorable too." Rose stated. "The big one especially"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. Rosalie's hormones always seemed to be on overdrive. I could already see the plan forming in her head. All I did was laugh, and glance at the clock. I still had another ten minutes before I could leave. I didn't think Uncle Bobby would care if I closed the deserted store early though. Wandering around the corner, I switched the sign from "Open" to "Closed."

"Might as well take off." I said, locking the doors and dragging Rose out behind me.

* * *

When Rose and I got back to the house, it was 6:00. The campus was pretty much empty, and would be for another couple of weeks. It was peaceful without all the crazed students running around through the dorms and hallways. This year would be a lot better, because we had the Private House, which was in it's own little area surrounded by trees.

There were 3 other Private Houses in the little clearing. Each one had enough room for two or three kids, segregated by gender of course. The River ran right behind us, and to the left was the path that led back to the Main Buildings.

Trinity River School of the Arts was more a cluster of stone buildings than an actual school. There was the main office, which was the smallest. The main education building was next, and the biggest. That's where all the usual classes were held, like math, science and english. The Visual Arts, Music and Dance buildings were in a circle, off to the side. Their main entrances faced one another, and all of them were pretty large as well. It looked like a giant summer camp.

"I'm bored and hungry." Rose said.

We were sitting on the front deck of our 'house,' just watching the sun set. Our conversation hadn't gotten much farther than that.

"Call Jasper, then, ask him to bring us burgers from the Mercantile." I told her.

Rosalie leaped up and ran inside, and she came out seconds later with Jasper on the phone.

"Will you bring us food?...Of course you can bring everybody stupid...tell the big one to wear something hot!"

I'm sure there was some serious laughing going on in Jasper's end, because Rose laughed and held the phone away from her ear. I rolled my eyes again and grabbed the phone away from her.

Jasper was still laughing. "Hey."

"I'd love you forever if you brought us food."

I heard snickering behind him, and figured out he had put us on speaker phone.

"Stop laughing assholes, I didn't mean that kind of loving."

Jeffery burst into laughter, and Jasper spat back a "Funny guys."

"We'll be there in like half an hour."


	4. Will You Ever Know

_Sorry to those of you who ended up reading this chapter before i finished editing it. i have mental relapses_

_Once again I've forgotten about this story, that coupled with writers block and serious commitment issues makes me a lame and inconsiderate author. So anyway, here it is again._

* * *

Alice's POV

I'd been huddled in the corner of the Whitlock living room, reading a book and thinking about my own current misfortune, when the blonde girl, Rosalie, called.

I was very impressed with Jaspers home. It was a large plantation style house, 3 stories tall with moss green siding. Two large pillars made up the front porch and main entrance. The inside was just as beautiful. There were dark cherry wood floors, a large staircases leading to other quarters of the house. Emmet, Edward and I were placed on the top floor, near the library. Jasper's room was also upstairs, but on the other side of the house. From his room extended a balcony that faced the rear of the house. Jeffery was staying with Bethany on the second floor, where his old room was.

Apparently, Jaspers great-great-grandfather was a civil war hero who fought for the south, and for whom he was named after. After the Confederates lost, he had pooled what little resources he had to settle down in a remote part of the south, away from current governmental affairs. The house and it's surrounding land had been in the Whitlock family ever since.

Everyone loved the house, and Bethany couldn't stop giggling about Jeffery's room. It was apparently filled with old NFL Dallas Cowboys memorabilia and books. Emmett had disappeared as soon as we'd arrived, taking his camera with him to photograph the landscape. Edward had just been being Edward, sitting quietly, or something of the sort. Jasper had spent the afternoon sitting by the pond out back, laying in the sun.

And me? I'd been sitting in this same corner, watching Jasper out the window like a psycho, and reading every time someone wandered by.

Jasper tapped the speaker button casually. All evening long the guys had been watching sports and Jasper and Jeffery were telling stories about their childhood here. From what I'd gathered, Jasper and Bella were extremely close.

" 'Lo?" Jasper uttered more of a grunt than a greeting. Still chuckling about an outlandish story of he and Bella setting off fireworks in the schools inner courtyard.

"Jasper! I'm so excited you answered. I have a favor!" I thought everyone this side town could here Rose squeal.

Jasper rolled his eyes humorously, while Jeffery raised his eyebrow. I didn't think he'd known Rosalie that well. She apparently hadn't moved out here until Jasper was a freshman, and by that time Jeffery was already in New York. She seemed nice, and Emmett hadn't been able to stop staring at her when we'd been at the Fireworks Store.

"What's that Rose?"

"_Well_," she wheedled. "Bella and I are really bored and _painfully_ hungry." We could here the slamming of a screen door behind her.

"Will you bring us food?"

"From the Mercantile? I suppose. Can everybody come too?" Jasper raised a brow questioningly at us. Emmett nodded emphatically, agreeing for all of us.

She giggled into the phone." Of course you can bring everybody stupid! Tell the big one to wear something hot!"

Emmett started pumping his fist up and down in victory, and everyone else just burst into laughter. On the phone, we could vaguely hear the sound of Rose laughing along with us, and then Bella was talking.

"Hey." Jasper said as soon as he could catch a breath.

"I'll love you forever." Bella pleaded, and my chest tightened. "if you brought us food."

I thought my heart would shrivel up and turn to dust above my ribcage. If I hadn't been such a coward, and told Jasper how I feel, I wouldn't have to feel this way. He would have either fallen madly in love with me, or told me he was taken, and I never would have come to Banner with him. I wish I had just confessed and that Bella didn't exist.

Outside of my misery, everyone was laughing again just because Bella said she'd 'love him forever.' It was difficult really, living with all these perverts all of the time. Jasper was blushing, and shooting everybody dirty looks. Apparently, Bella shared the exact same sentiment as I did, because she jumped right back with a sarcastic remark.

"Stop laughing assholes, I didn't mean that kind of loving."

That shut Edward, Bethany and Emmett up for a second. Instead Jeffery started laughing hysterically, and Jasper was looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.

"Very funny guys!" Jasper said weekly. "We'll be there in like half an hour."

* * *

Our drive to what I expected to be a restaurant, was short. The entire time, Jasper talked about how great would be for us to see the school early, and how good the food was at a place called 'The Mercantile'. I sat in the far back and responded when directly spoken too, and replied with positive, upbeat responses. It was of utmost importance that I seemed completely at ease. My summers involved in the Long Island Country Club Debutante Society had taught me to never show distress in matters involved with men.

We pulled up to a one-story, rectangular white building with a sign that said 'Mercantile' and on the other side said 'Post Office.' It looked positively, _southern_, I guessed would be the right word. I wasn't against it at all, it just hadn't been what I'd been expecting.

In fact I hadn't been expecting anything that I've come across since we've come to Texas. I wasn't used to seeing wide open spaces and trees. The air smelled different too. Less like smog and more like nature. It was going to be a serious adjustment for me here, if I could even stand it.

Our entire party had crammed into the tiny restraunt, store or whatever it was. Emmett took up more space than the rest of us, and looked thoroughly uncomfortable.

"Jasper, buddy! Are we like stopping for directions here? Or are we eating the store, because there is no way in hell that this place has enough food in it to feed all of us!"

Emmet mouthed off as I came up behind him. I had to leap, but I still managed to smack him in the back of the head.

"For god's sake! Watch your language."

Emmett crossed his arms and huffed, towering over me. "I don't have any idea what your problem is, but your acting like a sulky, spoiled brat. Just because J-…"

My eyes widened, and my brother stopped talking, realizing his _almost_ mistake. It had been a mistake to tell him that I liked Jasper that way, but I didn't really have anybody that I trusted more than my big bear of a brother, Emmett. He smiled timidly at me, and turned to the counter, where they had a menu taped.

"What the heck's a Ranch Hand?" Emmett asked quite loudly.

An elderly woman wandered out of the back, red hair cropped short against her head. Her scowl seemed like a permanent expression, and she eyed Emmett with complete disdain. As she adjusted her glasses, she asked…

"Got a problem with my sandwiches boy? You'll never eat anything so fine and a Ranch Hand. Now shut up and pick out what your eating."

In a seemingly different state of mind, she turned to Jasper and Jeffery.

"My my my! If it isn't the Whitlock boys. It's been quite a while since we've seen you in these parts Jeffery. Will you be eatin' the usual?"

Jasper grinned widely at the lady, nodding. Jeffery just looked down shyly and said "Sure Ms. Langston. We're here to get Bella and Rose something to eat too."

She took down the rest of our orders, not even bothering to ask what the other girls wanted. I realized I would never be able to fit into this town. None of us could. Everyone was already too tight knit a group.

The drive out to the school found me silent again, but this time Emmett chose to sit in the back with me. Jasper was still chattering about the school and Bella, and Edward was listening intently.

"Alice, he doesn't know that he's hurting you." Emmett whispered in my ear. "You have either got to say something about it, or deal with all of this"

All I could do in reply was swallow the lump that had formed in my throat, and nod stiffly.

* * *

We pulled up to a long, white fenced driveway surrounded by enormous pecan trees. You couldn't see anything but the road, and a sign that read _Trinity River School Of The Arts._ The trees were still green, and so was the pastures either side of the fencing. They actually had _horses _in them. I couldn't wait for the smell, which was garanteed to be pleasant. By all accounts though, I was excited to see the school.

"This has to be the longest driveway on the planet." Emmett grumped loudly. "Is this to filter out the impatient students who can't focus long enough to remember where they're going by they time they reach the buildings?"

It never ceased to amaze me how Emmett would say whatever came to his mind. There was no complex thought process from him. It went in his brain and out of his mouth simultaneously. I grinned for the first time all day, and elbowed him playfully.

"Maybe we should just drop you off here then."

_

* * *

_Jaspers POV

_Ah, home sweet home,_ I chuckled inwardly. I never thought I could miss a place as much as I've missed Trinity River. I had rolled down my window when we'd turned, taking in the smell of the trees, and listening to the water that ran all through the school. That made me think of the year that it had rained all of Christmas break. The river had overflowed into the school yard and flooded out some of the dorms. Bella and Rosalie had ended up rooming with me and Will, much to the teachers chagrin. It's not like we did anything, and they knew we never would, but it was 'against the rules.'

For a week the two of them had tortured us mercilessly, stealing our beds, and staying up at all hours of the night just giggling. It was right then that Will declared he would never marry, and would become a priest and devote himself to religion instead. Bella said now he was dating a town girl named Katie, and she was convinced the two of them were gonna get married someday.

I was nervous about starting up school here again. I knew of course that Rose and Bella would still hang around, but I hadn't really talked to Will since I'd left, and the rest of our town friends. It seemed like I was going to be a stranger here, for the first time in my life.

As we pulled up to the main part of the school, I went from nervous to excited again. The same old stone buildings were there, with the dance studio, the Art building, and the Music building. Towards the outskirts were where the regular dorms were. Smaller stone cabins that held two or three people at a time. The path down to the Private Houses was off to the left, and wound deeper into the woods. I I hope that won't be too big of a problem for Emmett, having to live farther down another driveway.

* * *

The SUV pulled up to the log cabin. It was raised up off the ground on stilts, with steep steps that led up to a wrap around porch. Near the front door was a picnic table and an old weathered rocking chair. Everything here had a place and stayed the same. Maybe I still had a place too.

From the bottom of the steps, we could see Bella and Rosalie hanging out on the porch. Rose was sitting on the table, messing with her phone. Bella was balanced on the railing, her hands behind her head and her eyes closed. I glanced back at my friends. Emmett was completely obsessed with Rose, and it was worse now that he knew she liked him. Edward however, couldn't take his eyes off of Bella, though he tried to hide it. And much to my surprise, Alice looked ill and apprehensive. I really hoped she liked Bella. If she didn't, this could be a long year.

I started climbing up the steps, balancing three boxes of food. Jeffery was too busy making doe eyes at his girlfriend.

"Bella! Wake your ass up and come get your food." I hollered at her.

She didn't do much but crack and eye open to peek down at me. Bella smirked a little, and rolled off the deck railing. Rosalie was already up and grinning blindly, like she does, and grabbing her dinner away from me. The rest of them had followed behind me, situating themselves around the porch. Jeffery had sat down in the rocking chair, grabbing Bethany and pulling her firmly down onto his lap. This kind of behavior surprised me almost as much as it did her. In New York , Jeff was the epitome of an upper society gentleman. It was amazing how being home could make you go back to your roots.


End file.
